It's time to brush up on those ad writing skills to make your ad be the one that is chosen by the smaller pool of buyers now in the market. The basis of Adwriting 101 is tied to the acronym, AIDA. Remembering these four elements of a good ad will make you more money
- Attention: How does your ad grab their attention? A catchy headline or unusual design layouts or photos could do the trick.
- Interest: Give them the information they are looking for and make them think this is the house for them.
- Desire: Stimulate their desire with the benefits and emotional reasons.
- Action: Tell them what to do next. This will come naturally if you've done a good job at the first 3, but make it easy for them to reach you or use a 1-800 response line.
Here are my Top 10 Tips for better ads:
- Always include the price & location. As a buyer reads ads, they are trying to eliminate the ones that don't fit. When there is plenty of inventory, they will not even call if the price isn't there. To increase your effectiveness, do your homework and know the alternative homes that would fit their needs.
- Link to online pictures; consumers love multiple pictures. Include a link to additional photos on your website. By sending them to your website for additional information, you will capture more prospects. Over 80 percent of buyers are searching online for their next home.
- Offer a virtual open house. If the media you are using has an open house section, advertise a link to your virtual tour of the house. Do this in your weekend newspaper instead of holding a real open house!
- Turn the features into benefits; don't just list the features. Tell them why they will love the location, the cozy fireplace, the gourmet kitchen. A large yard can offer a place to relax with plenty of room for pets and kids.
- Play to the emotions. People buy houses based on emotional reasons. They are trying to either to avoid pain (be it emotional, physical, or spiritual) or to gain pleasure (be it real or anticipatory). Ask a question or make a statement to involve their emotions.
- Include Financing. Get from your lender details of several loan options and advertise using the terms in the ad. A headline of "Can you Afford $1000 per month?" will attract renters that don't realize that they actually could afford to buy. Take care if you add financing terms to be in compliance with Regulation Z.
- Target your market Is this a golf course property? A gated community? A first time buyer home? Write your ad to appeal to the most likely buyer. Give them the benefits! An ad for an investor would focus on bottom line numbers. An ad for retirees would feature benefits of the 55+ community.
- Write to their type Is your most likely potential buyer a Baby Boomer? A retiree? A young professional? An environmentalist? What are their values and concerns? The words and style you use to appeal to each different type of buyer matter.
- Use creative words Bring the adjectives back! Bring alive the activities their family will enjoy. Paint a picture for them of those rooms so they can see themselves cooking gourmet meals in the spacious kitchen! Get your thesaurus out and make your descriptions outstanding and inviting.
- Call to action Give them a reason to call. "Won't last long at this price!" "Call today before it is gone."
